Tag Archives: protein

Making Coconut milk is not new to me, but IÂ haven’tÂ seen it done in such a long time. My mom used to do this when I was growing up, she used the milk to make Rice and Peas every Sunday. Its weird how when we are younger we would take certain things for granted, I remember thinking the process looked so involved and I had better things to do than squeezing some shreds to get a little milk. Now I wish I paid more attention.

Imagine using the milk as a conditioner for your hair, I know it is much easier to just get the can from the supermarket, but you know what they say, everything is always better ‘organic’.

If you want to try using fresh coconut milk as a conditioner just simply massage the milk into your scalp using your fingers to coat the strands thoroughly. Once you areÂ satisfiedÂ that you haveÂ coveredÂ everything just don a plastic bag and let it sit for a couple hours. A great tip is to apply the milk when its a little warm to ensure that the nutrients from the milk move quickly through your hair.

Now if you are into using fresh produce for your skin, here are some ways to incorporate coconut milk:

As a Moisturizer

Mix equal amounts of fresh coconut milk and honey. Add two drops of almond oil to this mixture if your skin is extra dry. Smooth this over your face and let it sit there for 10-20 minutes. Later, wash off with clean cold water and pat dry.

As aÂ Facial Cleanser

Mix a teaspoon of creamy yogurt with a few drops of concentrated coconut milk. spread the mixture of the your face, leave it on for about 5 minutes and wipe off with a wet cloth. Finally do a cold water rinse to seal pores!

I donâ€™t know about you, but every time I go to my local Indian grocer I get inspired to create a complete ayurvedic regimen for my hair. To make matters even more tempting, I am cheap and the cost of powders and oils are right up my street.

After the recent postcard tip detailingÂ what ayurvedic products do for your hair, we got a few emails asking how to implement them into a regimen and with the subject of Ayurveda deserving more than a cursory glance, I am happy toÂ oblige.

Do you ever get offended when someone says something ‘ bad ‘about one of your beloved products that you have been using forever!??? Â – I did this week,Â I’mÂ so weird!,Â becauseÂ truth be told what works for me may not work for everyone else. But I have heard the statement ‘I am no longer usingÂ coconutÂ oil because it acts like a protein’ -in more of a negative light lately and well I have been thinking about it and I feel a little bad because, coconut oil is one of the best oils out there and protein literally saved my hair! – Biased much?

My opinion – Coconut oil acts like an oil and protein acts like a protein point blank! Maybe the reason people sayÂ coconutÂ oil behaves like a protein is becauseÂ coconutÂ oil actually penetrates the hair strand just like a hydrolised protein molecule would but the verdict on the reasoning is still out. So I did some research, because there is some protein in coconut oil and in that case there might be some truth/confusion to that statement.

Here is some of what I found:

Coconut oil is a plant-based oil extracted from the kernel of the coconut with a high concentration of saturated fatty acids, lauric acid, capric acid and vitamins E and K. In its natural unprocessed state, coconut oil has a high moisture retaining capacity and does not breakdown or evaporate easily when it is applied to the hair and penetrates the hair shaft. This is highly beneficial to black hair that is challenged by its inability to consume and retain moisture. Coconut oil’s high concentration of fatty acids also nourishes your hair with protein that produces strong and long, soft and shiny hair.

One of the main issues most naturals have with their hair is dryness, and anything that may contribute to dryness is an absolute no no. It is a fact that excessive protein can be drying, as well as using oil improperly can be drying. as a matter of fact, using anything the wrong way can lead to less than stellar results with your hair.

About Protein:

I think protein sensitivity is a bit of a myth,- IÂ don’tÂ see how anyone could be ‘sensitive; to the very thing that hair is made of to the extent where they avoid protein all togetherÂ butÂ that’sÂ just me. The reason we doÂ proteinÂ treatments is very simple, the intention is to correct the damage we have caused from, styling, overÂ styling, general manipulation and natural wear and tear. There is no other way to repair the hair unless youÂ literallyÂ add the basicÂ componentsÂ back to it that it is now missing from damage. –

With that said – how can we right the ‘wrongs’ ofÂ proteinÂ andÂ coconutÂ oil, here are some tips:

Apply oil only after your hair is properly moisturized – Even thoughÂ coconutÂ oil has moisturizing properties its still an oil and it is meant to seal and either block in or block out moisture. If you add oil to dry hair the result will be just that – Dry hair

For every protein treatment – you should have 3 -4 additional moisture treatments (balance babe, balance)-Â What does that mean?Â to illustrate: If I decided this week I intend to do an Aphogee protein treatment, then on the day of the treatment I would follow up with an intense moisture based deep condition. And on days after my proteinÂ treatmentÂ adding products to my hair that promote moisture, is a must! (water based leave in conditioners, regular conditioner, aloe vera juice, more co-washing less shampooing..you know the drill)

Determine if your hair is porous – Sometimes, its not what you put in your hair that causes dryness but its the structure of the hair that may need some attention. If your hair strand has ‘holes’ in it, it will act just like a strainer would when you want toÂ separateÂ the water from a can of corn (the water will flow right through) Research porosity and determine if that is the root of your issue, the only way to fix it is – protein! (go figure)

curl box

Don’t go ham on the protein when doing aÂ treatmentÂ :– if you have eggs in your mix, you probablyÂ don’tÂ need the mayo. Try using one or the other on each occasion of treatment! I guess the point of this post is,Â don’tÂ completelyÂ cut out something out of your routine until you are absolutely sure that you are using it in the correct manner.

Have you ever wondered what the secrets to long hair are? I think we have all wondered from time to time, the truth is the growth part is no secret, if you are healthy your hair should grow. The real question is what is the secret to retaining length.

Over the years I think I have narrowed down my top five.

1.) Moisture – water, co washing, water based products2.) Protein – strength to help with breakage, the sun, the weather, my fingers,3.) Low tension protective styling – buns, tuck and rolls, scarves4.) Using my fingers instead of combs and brushes5.) consistent regimens/patience – Deep condition every week or every two weeks as long as you are consistent.

Then I decided let me check what my favourite youtubers are saying their secrets are:

DenimPixie, she has had amazing growth by just pretty much perfecting her wash and go and maintaining a great balance with moisture based products and protein based products

Naptural85Â Whitney’s hair is amazing, she goes through periods of protective styling, simple regimens and natural products, she finger detangles mostly with her fingers and keeps her hair moist with co washing and consistent water spraying .

Richeau, I honestlyÂ don’tÂ know what her secret is,Â I’veÂ watched her cut her hair and regrow it faster than I have with only one hair cut!.. I chalk her up to great genes, but if not that, again a very consistent regimen and caring for her hair.

African Export:Â Her Â hair is gorgeous, and its growing like crazy, her secret is consistent protective styling using wigs and making sure her hair is moisturized under the wig with co-washing.

Yea buddy, I brought it back! an oldie but goodie! your most basic protein treatment – Couple of eggs, Olive oil, a dash of honey and some cheap conditioner for consistency. Â (measurements are for the birds, when playing ‘lil miss mixalot’ in your kitchen determine the measurements for your recipe based on your hair needs and hair size, add as much or as little of each ingredient as you need as you get to know your hair)

my mix is a little runny which made it annoying to apply (two eggs will do that) but I coated my hair thoroughly Â and its been marinating for the last hour and a half.

Process:Â -Section the hair in however many sections you need-Spray each section liberally with water-Apply the mix to each section-Pin up and cover with plastic cap

My hair is in four sections and I covered it with a plastic bag!

I will shampoo/condition my hair in a couple minutes and style in about 6 chunky twists for drying.

I am finally finished, well I have been done for over 2 hours now! the process was relatively simple but a little time consuming.

My hair before:

now how is that for dramatic effect? -Â

IÂ separatedÂ that hair full of ‘mixed emotions’ into 6 sections and applied some coconut oil to each sectionI jumped in the shower and shampooed each section with Aubrey Organics Shampoo.

The Aphogee-I followed HairscapadesÂ recommendationÂ and put the protein treatment in a spray bottle and sprayed each section liberally twisted and moved on

-I dried my hair under my hooded dryer until I got that stiff feeling the bottle talked about

-I jumped in the shower washed it all out and used my Tresseme moisture conditioner to loosen things up

-Out of the shower I used my Curl Junkie Rehab Moisture Deep Conditioner on each section and hit the steamer.

The cool thing about Curl Junkie is that it acts like a DC, a leave-in conditioner and a rinse out conditioner all in one. So after my steam IÂ didn’tÂ wash it out I decided to leave it in my hair as a leave-in.

My hair feels super strong and very moisturized,

-tonight, I tension blow dried my hair after it was about 60% dry, braided my hair like mommy used to do it and donned my bonnet.

HaveÂ I heard it all? nope.. I am still listening,Â lets see – Monistat, Ky Jelly, Crisco, and Okra!

I think I will focus on the Okra today… I cant with the KY Jelly, I feel you boo boo, really..Â I do.. I am a ‘never knock it till you try it’ kind of girl.. but my mind plays tricks on me with that one. Anyway I digress.

What is Okra?

Only the most hated vegetable by Emilycottontop.. In Jamaica it is generally paired with steam fish, but not on my plate 🙂

Â The Wiki says :

Okra – known in many English-speaking countries as lady’s fingers or gumbo is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

Okra is a rich in Vitamins A, C, and K. It also contains Zinc, Copper, Calcium,Â Folate, Potassium, Thiamine, and many otherÂ nutrients. Okra can be used to give volume and body to your hair. It can be used as a hair gel, shampoo, and conditioner. Okra is known to promote healthy and quicker hair growth, strength, and shine.

I am with Regal! who knew!!?, it is great for added protein, for every pound or okra there is 8.62 grams of protein.. I think that means that there is alot or enough to do something great for our hair.